MANILA, Philippines — The Philippines is ready to defend its sovereignty, according to Defense Secretary Delfin Lorenzana, as he again called on China to immediately withdraw its vessels still in formation in Julian Felipe Reef in the West Philippine Sea.
Lorenzana assured the public that the government is actively addressing the situation as almost 200 Chinese vessels, said to be manned by militias, have been docked in the reef since earlier this month.
“We stand by our position calling for the immediate withdrawal of Chinese vessels in Julian Felipe Reef, which was communicated to the Chinese ambassador. We are ready to defend our national sovereignty and protect the marine resources of the Philippines,” Lorenzana said in a statement over the weekend.
More sovereignty patrols
The defense chief said he has ordered an increased presence of the Philippine Navy and Philippine Coast Guard to conduct sovereignty patrols and protect local fishermen in the West Philippine Sea.
The Philippine Air Force has also been deploying an AS211 jet aircraft daily to monitor the actual situation in the reef, which is within the Philippines’ exclusive economic zone (EEZ).
A news report posted on the website of South China Morning Post last Saturday night said China would conduct a military drill in the South China Sea today and tomorrow, based on a notice issued by the China Maritime Safety Administration last Friday afternoon. The notice stated that an area between Hainan, China’s southernmost province, and Paracel islands would be closed to marine traffic due to “military training.”
The Department of National Defense is coordinating with other government agencies, including the Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources on activities in the West Philippine Sea and the Kalayaan group of islands.
“By securing the West Philippine Sea and its islands in the Kalayaan area, the Philippines reinforces its commitment to keeping the freedom of navigation and maintaining regional peace and stability,” Lorenzana said.
China has claimed that the vessels were only seeking shelter in the reef due to bad weather.
4 Phl Navy ships
At least four of the Philippine Navy’s gray ships, including its two new missile frigates, will patrol the West Philippine Sea following the recent swarm of Chinese fishing vessels in Julian Felipe.
AFP chief Lt. Gen Cirilito Sobejana has ordered increased presence in the disputed waters within the country’s EEZ.
Philippine Navy chief Vice Admiral Giovanni Carlo Bacordo said the BRP Ramon Alcaraz, a corvette, and the BRP Conrado Yap, an offshore patrol vessel, have been deployed to the Naval Forces West and Naval Forces Northern Luzon, respectively, to conduct sovereignty patrols in the West Philippine Sea.
Bacordo added that the Philippine Navy’s brand new missile frigates, the BRP Jose Rizal and BRP Antonio Luna, “will also be deployed for sovereignty patrols as soon as they complete their manufacturer’s mandatory trainings and system tests.”
“It is now up to the operational commanders on the operational employment of these vessels,” he replied, when asked for specifics on how the patrols would be carried out.
Sobejana directed the deployment of more naval assets in the West Philippine Sea last week after the continued presence of at least 183 Chinese fishing vessels in Julian Felipe Reef was validated by the AFP in its aerial patrol.
China says it’s doing great job
Claiming it is doing a “great job” in abiding by international rules, China refused the label of militarization in South China Sea to be pinned on Beijing as it denied that it was the first to carry out construction activities and deploy facilities in the disputed waters.
Foreign Ministry spokesperson Hua Chunying slammed the speech of United States Secretary of State Antony Blinken at the North Atlantic Treaty Organization headquarters that China threatens freedom of navigation and militarize the South China Sea.
Blinken said China is “working to undercut the rules of the international system and the values we and our allies share, and threatens our collective security and prosperity.”
Hua stressed that the US is not in the position to ask China to play by international rules since the only system in the world is the international system centered on the United Nations, and the only set of rules is the basic norms governing international relations with the UN Charter as the core.
“Speaking of abiding by international rules, China is doing a great job while the US has a poor record. This is a fact recognized by the international community,” she said in a press conference in Beijing on Thursday.
“The label of undermining the rules of the international system cannot be pinned on China,” she said.
The Chinese official warned that the US could by no means deprive China of the right to self-preservation and self-defense over its own territory by putting a label of militarization on China.
“The label of militarization in South China Sea cannot be pinned on China. China is not the first to carry out construction activities and deploy necessary facilities on islands and reefs in the South China Sea. Nor is it the one that has conducted the most of such activities,” she said.
Hua claimed the US built military bases around South China Sea, where offensive weapons and equipment are deployed.
The US, she said, has also repeatedly sent aircraft carriers and strategic bombers to South China Sea and deployed military aircraft and warships there on a regular basis and conducted activities in the disputed waters for more than a hundred times by impersonating civil aircraft of other countries.
“No one is more suitable than the US for the label of militarization and jeopardizing freedom of navigation,” she added. – Michael Punongbayan, Pia Lee-Brago, Paolo Romero